Patrick O'Kelley

PATRICK O’KELLEY Patrick O'Kelley was born in Charleston, West Virginia on March 7, 1961. He graduated from Leto High School in 1979 and then went right into the Army from Tampa, Florida. He completed Basic Training, Infantry Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and Airborne School in Fort Benning Georgia. He served with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina from 1979 to 1984. His duty positions included Rifleman, M-60 Machinegunner, Team Leader, Squad Leader and Company Sniper. In August 1983 he conducted OPERATION ARID FARMER in the country of Sudan as a show of force against Libyan aggression. In October of 1983 he was deployed in OPERATION URGENT FURY on the island of Grenada as a Sniper, being credited with 2 confirmed kills and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor. He next served with A Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion in Fort Benning, Georgia from 1984 to 1987. His duty positions included Team Leader and Squad Leader. He served with F Company, 51st Infantry (Long Range Surveillance Unit) in Ludwigsberg, West Germany from 1987 to 1988. He volunteered for a Special Forces assignment in 1988 and after completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course he was assigned to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, where he served as the Intelligence Sergeant on ODA-592 and ODA-586. In September of 1990 he deployed with 5th Special Forces to Saudi Arabia as part of OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. Prior to January 1991 he was deployed on the Saudi/Kuwait/Iraq border within 500 meters of Iraqi border posts to maintain surveillance of Iraqi units. During the air war of OPERATION DESERT STORM his A Team operated in front of friendly lines and conducted surveillance and close air support against Iraqi positions. At times his ODA engaged Iraqi units directly. His ODA is credited with the identifying of 11 SCUD missile sites. During the ground war he was the Senior advisor to the Khulud Brigade of the Kuwait Army during the liberation of Kuwait City. For his actions during OPERATION DESERT STORM he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1994 he volunteered for the 10-man expedition to Pakistan to climb “Broad Peak” (26,047 feet) the twelfth highest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas. The team trained for the expedition by being the only people to summit Mount Rainier in Washington State in the winter of 1993-1994. The expedition consisted of an international team of soldiers from Pakistan, France, Italy, and the United States. The team was split into two 5-man teams. The first team successfully completed the climb of Broad Peak, but his team climbed the smaller Khushak Mountain (20,100 feet) in the Hindukush Mountains. In 1995 he volunteered to become one of the first 18 series Drill SGTs (Special Forces) and was assigned as a Drill SGT to C Company, 58th Infantry in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was the Senior Drill Instructor and Platoon SGT for the 1st Platoon. In 1997 he was assigned as the Senior Weapons Sergeant of ODA 336, C Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His team was on the first ACRI (African Crisis Response Initiative) mission to train a Pan-African force in peacekeeping operations. His team also helped extract ODA 334 from Sierra Leone when the civil war broke out there. He retired from active duty on July 1, 1999. His schools include Infantry Advanced Individual Training, Airborne School, USMC Amphibious Warfare School, Primary NCO Course, Basic NCO Course, Advanced NCO Course, XVIII Airborne School Sniper Course, Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper System Maintenance Course, 5th Special Forces Group Sniper Sustainment Course, Jumpmaster School, 82nd Airborne Division Anti-Armor Leaders Course, Long Range Surveillance Leaders Course, Ranger School, Assault Climber Course, Special Forces Desert Survival Course, MANPAD Missile Crewman Course (Stinger + Redeye), Special Operations Weapons SGT Course, Arabic Language Course, German Headstart Orientation, Special Forces Assistant Operations and Intelligence SGT Course, HIV/Aids Instructor Training Course, Combat Lifesaver Course, Special Forces Orientation and Training-Assessment and Selection Course, Advance Special Operations Techniques (ASOT) Level II certified, Jungle Warfare Training Course (three times), Northern Warfare Training Center, Belgian Parachute School, ILRRP Survival School, German Mountain Warfare School, Pakistani High Altitude Mountaineering Warfare School, AFRC Bavaria Outdoor Challenge Program, Defensive Driving Course, and Drill SGT School. During his military career he was able to speak German, French, Arabic and Bombara. His civilian education includes an Associates Degree of Applied Science from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. His awards and decorations include Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters with "V" device for Valor, Army Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal 6th award, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead device and Oak Leaf Cluster, Humanitarian Service Award, National Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Medal with number 3, Southwest Asia Service Medal with 3 campaign stars, Saudi Arabian Liberation of Kuwait Medal, Kuwaiti Defense Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Army Service Medal, Basic Parachutist Wings, Senior Parachutist Wings, Master Parachutist wings, Combat Infantry Badge awarded 2 times, Expert Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Drill SGT Badge, Overseas Service Bar, Valorous Unit Award, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, 82nd Airborne Distinguished Trooper Award awarded 2 times, Jungle Expert Badge awarded 3 times, Physical Fitness Award awarded 15 times, Egyptian Parachute Wings, Sudanese Parachute Wings, Belgian Parachute Wings, German Parachute Wings, United Arab Emirates Parachute Wings, German Mountaineering Badge, the Pakistani High Altitude Mountaineering Badge, German Schützenschnur badge in Gold and the Silver Good Citizenship Medal from the Sons of the American Revolution. He married his wife Alice in 1993 and they have three daughters, Cailín Brianna-Rois born in 1995, Katriane Máire-Grace born in 1996 and Adelise Ciara-Brynn born in 1999. He began his second career as a Junior ROTC instructor at Lee County Senior High School in Sanford, North Carolina in July 1999. He was listed in “Who's Who Among America’s Teachers” in 2005 and was selected as one of the National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers in 2006. He retired from JROTC in September 2019, after having taught for 20 years at Lee County High School. He currently does some military contracts, where he trains Special Forces soldiers.